A Matter of Life and Death
by Seph Lorraine
Summary: Naruto is a grad student going through a difficult time when a great housing opportunity opens up to him. Desperate for a change, he takes it. However new situations provide new problems, or old problems, depending on how you look at it.


I haven't really written anything in ages, and it really doesn't come as easily to me anymore because of it. Anyway, had a wild idea today and decided to run with it. Sorry if it's a bit rough, I am quite rusty.

**Summary:** Naruto is a grad student going through a difficult time when a great housing opportunity opens up to him. Desperate for a change, he takes it. However new situations provide new problems, or old problems, depending on how you look at it.

**A Matter of Life and Death**

by Seph Lorraine

A man has many desires in life. Fortune to live in comfort and prosperity. Friends and family to enjoy time with and leave legacy. Fame, at least a desire of some, to inspire or simply attract the masses.

What Naruto wanted more than any of that was a shower.

Moreover, a bath. A bath would have been excellent- laying back in a deep porcelain tub surrounded by steaming water and bubbles, maybe a plastic duck staring at him comically as he relaxed his muscles, sore from a long day of moving boxes and furniture into his new home.

"If you think I'm gonna keep hauling your shit up these fuckin' stairs while you sit there and sun tan, you've got another thing comin'." Kiba muttered darkly as he gracefully stumbled up the stairs again with another crumpled box into the open doorway behind him, rattling all the way.

"Yea, whatever." The blond man sighed and pulled himself up slowly from his temporary seat on the stoop, instantly regretting it as all of the stationary sweat beads on his back began rolling down to the waist band of his jeans again.

It had been a long day already, and the hour hand of his simple red wrist watch had yet to reach noon.

The boarding house was of reasonable size and appearance, an older brick structure with dark trim standing at a decent but unimposing height of three stories. Additionally, it's position on the corner of Westward and Latimer made it perfect walking distance to the downtown shopping street and the university as well, so when he had seen the listing for an open room, Naruto had wasted no time. Good thing, too, the house almost never had openings and when it did they went quickly.

The house only had one real drawback: no elevator.

Naruto hoisted up the last of the big boxes from the truck bed, casting a withering glance at the array of dog toys and loose kibble rolling around with a few remaining odds and ends of his own in the truck bed. So that's why all of his stuff smelled like dog. Kicking up the tail gate with his foot (and hoping Kiba didn't see him inflicting damage onto his red lacquered beauty), he started up the three story trek again.

His new room was a decent size and included a single wooden-framed bed, desk, and dresser. There were two medium sized windows on adjacent walls, one facing the street below and one facing the peeling white wall of an old furniture store to his right. On the left there was a small fire place, covered by a protective iron grate that was bolted into the mortar on either side of the wall to prevent it's use and a door leading to a small bathroom he would share with his neighbor.

He dropped the last box carelessly at the foot of the bed beside a pile of imitation wood-paneling that would soon become a bookshelf and gave the faded blue paint on the wall to his left a wary once-over. It was a decent room, and he was not really a picky customer, but he had to admit there was definitely an antiquated feel to it.

"Are you sure about this place? It feels a little..." Kiba made a face, "Little Women-y."

The blond man snorted, "A, answer is still yes, and B, the word you're looking for his 'old-fashioned'."

A shrug, "There's only one wall socket." As if that justified everything.

"Whatever, you'll wish you had gotten it first next time you're forking it out for a cab home and I just have to walk a couple of blocks."

Kiba made a face. It was true. They had learned quickly in their undergrad years that no one in their group was quite at the level of reliability to be the designated driver.

"Well then you better keep an extra mattress for me."

"I'm not a hotel, you know."

"I didn't ask for a whole bed, jackass."

Naruto sniffed and began fumbling through his pockets for the small knife he had brought, ready to start in on the boxes without mercy.

"Ok, well I guess I'm off then. You're good on your own from here, right?" The darker-haired boy started towards the door, wiping his hands on his pants pointlessly.

"Yea, I got it." Not looking up as tanned hands pulled cardboard flaps free from their sticky traps.

Kiba paused at the door frame, watching his friend, wiry frame hunched over, sorting through randomly packed belongings almost as if he were instantly put into a trance. He had the tendency to do that recently. Maybe it was for the best, considering everything. He left quietly, knowing any other attempts at verbal exchange would go unnoticed.

When Naruto was finally awakened from his trance-like sorting, he was sitting in a pile of clothes and papers in front of a finished bookcase half-covered in books and folders from his various courses and other assignments. The shadows in the room hinted that the sun had sunk considerably since he first started unpacking. He stared blankly ahead, feeling slightly dizzy and unfocused for a moment until he realized what had caught his attention. A sound.

His stomach growling.

Pulling himself up slowly, he searched around for his wallet, figuring to run down to the sandwich shop across the street, and collected his keys from beneath a tangle of homeless power cords near the wall. He slipped out into the hallway and locked the door quickly, treading heavily as to enjoy the comfortable squeaking of the old floorboards beneath his weight.

The other doors on the landing were all shut soundly, their appearance as quiet and still as their inhabitants (probably working or out for one reason or another). They were all identical to one another aside from a small pink flower arrangement afixed with wire on the door nearest the bannister. He strode through the small hallway quickly and headed toward the staircase, carelessly grabbing the railing as he started down.

"Be careful."

There was a crack and the world spun wildly for a moment as he lurched forward, stumbling to catch his footing. He pulled back quickly, falling on the step behind him with the weight of a body falling of a table. When he caught his breath and managed to calm himself, he opened his eyes, unaware he had closed them to begin with.

Things were in order. He was on the steps. He was OK. Recalling the voice, he quickly turned to look back at the third landing. No one was there.

Naruto frowned and reached out to shake the handle on the railing, noting the loose wood for future reference should he wish not to fall to his death anytime soon.

After a moment or two longer he stood carefully. It was getting darker out, and suddenly a lot cooler. Perhaps he should have grabbed a sweater.

As he turned and headed back to his room still a bit shaky on his feet from the incident, he made a sweeping glance of the hallway once more, but all appeared just as he had left it. Doors closed. Flowers hung. He reached for his key and unlocked the door easily, making to step inside when suddenly the floor creaked behind him.

Naruto turned.

By the bannister stood a tall, pale figure dressed in black. Long slim legs were clad in suit pants tailored perfectly and topped by a crisp white button up and black vest. Black eyes regarded him scornfully from beneath thick black hair.

"Are you new?"

The blond blinked. "Yea, who the fuck are you?"

The pale man regarded him flatly, "You have to be careful with the stairs. People die that way."

"What are you the fucking butler or something?"

The well dressed man scoffed at him wordlessly and headed (back?) down the stairs.

The blond watched him leave with a hint of irritation. Ok, so his neighbours maybe were not exactly the best people he had ever met, but he had enough friends of his own without them. He grabbed a shaggy grey sweater from a pile on the floor and slipped into it quickly, wondering absently when exactly it had gotten so cold, and headed out again.

To be continued...


End file.
